Are you curious about activities that Russians doing during summer? Well, most of them are actually just about the same with other 4-season countries. However, they have some activities that probably do not exist in your country.
For your information, summer in Russia can be really challenging. The maximum temperature during the season can exceed 30 degree Celsius. That usually occurs in July. But, you don’t need to worry as they have been accustomed to such situation. Moreover, the hottest temperature only occurs in one month, while in June and August, the temperature is acceptable.
So, here are 6 things Russians like to do in summer season. You can also read activities that Russians do in their free time.
1. Visit their ‘dachas’
If you don’t know what dacha is, you may know it as a country house. One out of three Russian people have dacha. So, for those who have dacha, they will go to there during holiday in summer and spring. Sometimes, they also bring friends to enjoy summer there.
Going to dachas is probably common for Russian people. They do it to escape from the busy days in the city which allows them very little space and air to breathe. In dachas, they can do everything without any crowd. They even can bath in Russian bath house near the dachas.
Most of them say that going to dacha give them so many time to relax. Being there, they can sleep, talk, drinking tea on the terrace, walk and having a long night enjoying wine a lot. For those who have garden, they can enjoy their products that they plant in the spring. They usually also have barbecue in the garden.
2. Go to the beach
Summer is a great time for sunbathing and swimming. There are so many options to choose, but Russian people usually go to the nearest beach in their hometown or go to Azov Sea. Azov Sea is the shallowest sea in the world. It is in Taganrog city. The deepest area is just about 13.5 meters while the deepest area at Taganrog bay is only 5 meters. So, it is quite safe to bring kids a long. Parents can let their children play not so far from the bay while they have sunbathe. Moreover, they usually go to Solnechnyi Beach by walking down the stone staircase from the sea.
3. Go for sightseeing and vacation
As summer’s holiday can be so long, Russian people use it effectively. They can go by car to Altai to see mountains, rivers and lakes. Altai is kind of Mountains, so it is good to go there by jeep or crossover. Although the route to the mountains if pretty good, sometimes there are some places with off roads that make it hard for family car to pass through.
Sometimes, they can go deep into the mountains until there is almost no people at all. However, there are some tribes who are ready to keep everyone visiting entertained through storytelling. They also offer some traditional food they usually have. Before leaving, it is wised to give those people some gift. Any gift they never find is valuable for them. It is a sign of gratitude for the hospitality that those people provide.
4. Ride a bike around Lake Baikal
For Russians who live near Lake Baikal, they will enjoy their summer riding a bike around the lake. There are also some people who only stroll or even go fishing. There is a place that rent a boat for a day for those who want to go fishing. After that, they can enjoy the fish they catch. Fish is not the only animal in the lake, there is also Baikal seal appearing sometimes.
In the night time, they usually go to “130th Kvartal.” The area is famous for having several bars and some give visitors opportunities to sing and dance. Actually, there are a lot of such places in the city as pubs, disco clubs and karaoke bars.
5. Go to Kamchatka
Another natural area that Russian people can enjoy in summer is Kamchatka. There are many activities to do there. Those include boating, rafting, hiking, fishing, watching bears play, riding horse and flying in helicopter. All of those activities are indeed safe, including watching bears. There must be some armed escorts to accompany you those who wish to do so. Lake Kurile is the place where there are so many bears. There are about 15,000 to 30,000 bears in Kamchatka. So, it is quite easy to find the bears.
The main attraction in the place is volcanoes. The volcanoes is indeed still active and sometimes it still “sneeze” and also produces smoke. For those who want to see volcanoes, they can fly in helicopter and see it from above. The price for a single flight is around $1,800. Also read: tips to do cheap treaveling in Russia.
6. Go to Crimea
Summer is the right time to have a lot of activities in water. Thus, many Russian people will occupy their schedule with water activities, including going to Crimea. It both gives the sense of history and water activities. People sometimes use to enjoy the Romanov palaces and stroll along the path that the Tsarist family used to walk on before going to have water activities. Meanwhile, water activities that Russian people can enjoy include going to the beach, boat riding, scuba diving, wind surfing and water parks.
Those are are 6 things Russians like to do in summer season.